Freedom from Fear is a World War II era painting by Norman Rockwell. Its contents promote the notion that winning the war against the axis powers can safeguard the future for children.

Parents and their Children

The image of the painting shows a mother and father tucking their children in their bed. The father holds onto a newspaper that proclaims the ongoing war. The father does not look at the paper at all, but is concentrating on the children resting in their bed.

Rockwell, Americana and World War II

Norman Rockwell was famous for his works that truly captured the American experience at the time his painting was made. This painting was inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s State of the Union Address. The painting shows the concern of the parents is the well-being of their children with the children being symbolic of the future of America. The imagery of the children draws on the notion that a parent will do anything for their child and this translates into freedom of any fear to engage the enemy and win the war.